How to Eat at Oktoberfest

Despite its rich cultural history, Oktoberfest is best known for its food and beer. Luckily, most of the food you will find at a traditional Oktoberfest celebration pair well with beer. However, if you don't like to eat sauerkraut and other versions of pickled vegetables, you may be out of luck!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Try a Sampling of Traditional Food

1. Start with an appetizer like homemade pretzels and honey mustard dipping sauce. German culture encourages communal eating, so don't be afraid to reach in and grab food that looks appealing to you.

2. Choose from an assortment of German canapes with toppings. Some other food are smoked mackeral with apple-horseradish and chervil, salami with sauce remoulade and cornichons and farmers ham with rosehip jam and silver onions.

3. Expect to see a lot of sauerkraut (German cabbage), which makes a nice side dish. Sauerkraut pairs very well with sausage or other meats.

4. Enjoy dark beer-marinated chicken as your main course.

5. Be brave and try a bite of "himmel and erde," which means "heaven and earth" in German and is composed of pureed apples and potatoes covered with blood sausage.

6. Try some "schlachtplatte," which is a plate of mixed sausages, sauerkraut and potatoes, it is rich food so eat sparingly.

7. Try a bowl of "hassenpfeffer," or rabbit stew.

8. Try a side of "rosti," or potato pancakes fried with onions and butter.

9. Finish off your feast with a traditional German dessert, black forest cake. Decadently made with layers of chocolate and whipped cream, this cake is characterized by a topping of fresh cherries.

Tips & Warnings

• Have an adventurous spirit when attending an Oktoberfest party. You may eat some things you are not used to or have never even seen before, but you might end up finding a new favorite food. Take small helpings of everything so you can sample everything.
• If you are planning to accompany your meal with a hearty sampling of German beers, try to eat lightly. Sticking with appetizers and avoiding too much sausage or heavy meats will help you avoid feeling too full. This way you will more easily be able to try a variety of different beer, as well as a small helping of all the different courses.
• Drink water in between beer to stay sober.